On Spiritual Baths

General Spiritual Bath Instructions

THE TRADITIONAL TIME TO DO THIS IS AT DAWN. Most people have to be up near dawn to get to work anyway, so “in time to get ready for work” is about right.

If you don’t have any Uncrossing, Cleansing, Van Van or other appropriate bath crystals in the house, you may take the following ingredients:

a pinch of red pepper

a pinch of black pepper

a tablespoonful of salt

1 cup of vinegar or a chopped lemon

Mix them up in a tub of warm water. Wash from your head (or neck) downward and pray “Remove these conditions from me,” listing all the things you want to go out of your life. You can use a little of the bathwater in a bucket of water to clean all the floors in your house. Work from the back of your house to the front door; if your house has more than one floor, start at the top.

You may follow this up at once – or later – with any kind of “bring good stuff” bath – for money, love, a peaceful home, gambling luck, or even wisdom. If you don’t have the appropriate bath salts in the house, you can mix

Cinnamon

A spoonful of sugar or honey

and some or all of these:

Allspice

Rosemary (gives women power)

Clove (friendship)

Rose petals (love and blessing; a supermarket rose will do)

Basil

into a pint of water, and boil them together like herb tea. Strain and then pour into a tub of warm water. Bathe as above, EXCEPT:

Pray for good things to come INTO your life; the 23rd Psalm is a popular prayer for this purpose. Don’t worry about getting it letter-perfect; feel free to riff on it like a Baptist preacher.

Wash from your feet to your head.

Take some of the bathwater and sweep from the street to your front door; you’re sweeping good luck into your house.

The Consolation Bath

This is one of the shiniest, most peace-making things I know. Take it as often as you need it!

Cascarilla (powdered eggshell), used for cleansing and protection, is often sold in botanicas and other occult and metaphysical shops. It usually looks like this.

Start with some cascarilla (see photo at right), a cup of milk or coconut milk, and a spoonful of honey. Stir it all together – the cascarilla dissolves quickly, and half a cup is enough for one bath.

The cascarilla has both protective and cleansing value — and it gives the bath a deliciously silky feel. (If you can’t get cascarilla, you can start with an egg cleansing; or you can pray the 23rd Psalm over a piece of plain, ordinary chalk from the drugstore or toy store.)

Now boil together the petals of a rose and a big pinch of dried basil — or a couple of sprigs of fresh basil, if you can get it! These herbs add further protection, cleansing and blessing. Pour that into the milk-and-honey mixture.

You may now mix the Consolation Bath with any bath salts that address the condition you want to improve — love, money, legal issues, peace in the home, etc. If you have no such bath salts, you can leave it as it is.

Pour it all into a tub of warm water. Light a candle if you wish, step in, relax and luxuriate. Play some uplifting music, read from an inspiriational book.

Then, as with any other “bring good stuff” bath, wash from your feet toward your head. Pray Psalm 20 or Psalm 23 or both. Don’t worry about getting them letter-perfect.

Use a little of the bathwater to sweep good luck from the street to your front door. Thursday — Jupiter’s day — or Friday — payday, for many people — are the best days to do this as a prosperity bath. Of course, Friday is also Venus’ day, the best for love work. Sunday isn’t bad either; that’s a good day for any kind of blessing work.

Don’t rush a Consolation Bath; it’s the most consoling wallow, soak, or laze that you will ever have.